What does "after" mean in Arabic?
English "after" is a small word with many jobs. It is a preposition ("after lunch"), a conjunction ("after she left"), an adverb ("the day after") and the second half of several verb phrases ("run after", "look after"). For the first three, the everyday Arabic word is بَعْدَ (baʿda), "after." Its opposite is قَبْلَ (qabla), "before." The verb phrases are another matter, and Section D sorts them out.
Arabic grammarians do not call بَعْدَ a preposition (حرف جر, ḥarf jarr) like في or من. They call it a ظرف (ẓarf), an "adverb" of time (and of place, because it can also name a position: "after the bridge"). It is a noun-like word that sits in the accusative and puts whatever follows it into the genitive, like the first term of an idāfa: بعدَ الدرسِ (baʿda ad-dars), "after the lesson," is literally "the after-part of the lesson." This is the same pattern as خلفَ in the last lesson. There is no preposition before it, and no article on it.
It is used in four ways, and the lesson follows them in turn:
- With a noun: بعد العشاء (baʿda al-ʿashāʾ), "after dinner." - With a pronoun suffix: بعدك (baʿdaka), "after you"; بعده (baʿdahu), "after it." - With a verb, through أن (an) or ما (mā): بعد أن وصل (baʿda an waṣala) and بعدما وصل (baʿdamā waṣala), "after he arrived." - Cut off, with nothing after it: بعدُ (baʿdu), "yet, still": لم يصل بعدُ, "he has not arrived yet."
Arabic also uses بعد for a stretch of time in the future, where English says "in": بعد ساعتين (baʿda sāʿatayn) is "in two hours" (literally "after two hours").
Unvowelled, بعد can be read in more than one way: baʿda, "after"; baʿuda, "he was far"; and buʿd, "distance." They share the root ب ع د, which carries the idea of being far: بعيد (baʿīd) is "far." The vowels (or the context) tell them apart. The adverb بَعْدَ belongs to this lesson.
- بَعْدَ (baʿda) = "after": the opposite of قَبْلَ (qabla), "before" - بعدَ + a noun in the genitive: بعدَ الظهرِ (baʿda aẓ-ẓuhr), "after noon, in the afternoon"; no article on بعد, no preposition before it - بعدَ + a suffix: بعدي، بعدك، بعده، بعدها، بعدنا، بعدهم (baʿdī, baʿdaka, baʿdahu, baʿdahā, baʿdanā, baʿdahum) - بعدَ أن (baʿda an) + a verb: "after" + a clause; بعدما (baʿdamā) is a one-word alternative - بعدَ + a period of time = "in" (the future) or "later" (the past): بعد ساعتين, "in two hours, two hours later" - بعدُ (baʿdu), cut off, after a negative = "yet": لم يصل بعدُ - "Ago" is منذ (mundhu), not بعد; "after you!" as a courtesy is تفضّل (tafaḍḍal), not بعدك - "Run after, look after": other words (وراء، اعتنى بـ), set out in Section D
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56.1a بعد after الظهر the-noon
56.1b baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC aẓ-ẓuhr (aẓ-ZUHR) the-noon-GEN
56.2a بعد after غد tomorrow
56.2b baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC ghadin (GHA-din) tomorrow-GEN
56.3a أنا I بعدك after-you
56.3b anā (A-naa) I baʿda-ka (BA'-da-ka) after-ACC-you-M.SG
56.4a بعد after العشاء the-dinner نشرب we-drink الشاي the-tea
56.4b baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-ʿashāʾ (al-ʿa-SHAA') the-dinner-GEN nashrabu (NASH-ra-bu) we-drink-PRES.1PL ash-shāy (ash-SHAAY) the-tea-ACC
56.5a قبل before الامتحان the-exam وبعده and-after-it
56.5b qabla (QAB-la) before-ACC al-imtiḥān (al-im-ti-HAAN) the-exam-GEN wa-baʿda-hu (wa-BA'-da-hu) and-after-ACC-it-M
56.6a سأتصل I-will-call بك with-you بعد after أن that أصل I-arrive
56.6b sa-attaṣilu (sa-at-TA-ṣi-lu) will-I-call-FUT.1SG bi-ka (bi-ka) with-you-M.SG baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC an (an) that aṣila (A-ṣi-la) I-arrive-SUBJ.1SG
56.7a وصل arrived القطار the-train بعد after منتصف middle الليل the-night
56.7b waṣala (WA-ṣa-la) arrived-PAST.3M.SG al-qiṭār (al-qi-TAAR) the-train-NOM baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC muntaṣafi (mun-TA-ṣa-fi) middle-GEN.CONSTRUCT al-layl (al-LAYL) the-night-GEN
56.8a يكبر grows-up الطفل the-child يوماً a-day بعد after يوم a-day
56.8b yakburu (YAK-bu-ru) grows-up-PRES.3M.SG aṭ-ṭifl (aṭ-TIFL) the-child-NOM yawman (YAW-man) day-ACC baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC yawmin (YAW-min) day-GEN
56.9a بعد after الدرس the-lesson ذهب went الطلاب the-students إلى to المكتبة the-library
56.9b baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC ad-dars (ad-DARS) the-lesson-GEN dhahaba (DHA-ha-ba) went-PAST.3M.SG aṭ-ṭullāb (aṭ-ṭul-LAAB) the-students-PL.NOM ilā (I-laa) to al-maktaba (al-mak-TA-ba) the-library-F.GEN
56.10a سيصل will-arrive أخي my-brother من from دبي Dubai بعد after ساعتين two-hours
56.10b sa-yaṣilu (sa-ya-ṢI-lu) will-arrive-FUT.3M.SG akhī (A-khee) brother-NOM-my min (min) from Dubayy (du-BAYY) Dubai baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC sāʿatayni (saa-ʿa-TAY-ni) two-hours-DUAL.GEN
56.11a خرجنا we-went-out بعد after أن that انتهى ended الدرس the-lesson
56.11b kharajnā (kha-RAJ-naa) went-out-PAST.1PL baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC an (an) that intahā (in-ta-HAA) ended-PAST.3M.SG ad-dars (ad-DARS) the-lesson-NOM
56.12a لم not يصل he-arrives أحمد Ahmad بعد yet
56.12b lam (lam) NEG.PAST yaṣil (ya-ṢIL) arrive-JUSS.3M.SG Aḥmad (AH-mad) Ahmad-NOM baʿdu (BA'-du) yet
56.13a بعدما after غادر left الضيوف the-guests رتبنا we-tidied البيت the-house
56.13b baʿdamā (BA'-da-maa) after ghādara (ghaa-DA-ra) left-PAST.3M.SG aḍ-ḍuyūf (aḍ-ḍu-YOOF) the-guests-PL.NOM rattabnā (rat-TAB-naa) we-tidied-PAST.1PL al-bayt (al-BAYT) the-house-ACC
56.14a سأزورك I-will-visit-you بعد after غد tomorrow إن if شاء wills الله God
56.14b sa-azūru-ka (sa-a-ZOO-ru-ka) will-I-visit-FUT.1SG-you-M.SG baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC ghadin (GHA-din) tomorrow-GEN in (in) if shāʾa (SHAA-'a) wills-PAST.3M.SG Allāh (al-LAAH) God-NOM
56.15a ما what أجمل lovely القهوة the-coffee بعد after يوم day طويل long من of العمل the-work
56.15b mā (maa) what ajmala (AJ-ma-la) lovely-EXCL al-qahwata (al-qah-WA-ta) the-coffee-F.ACC baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC yawmin (YAW-min) day-GEN ṭawīlin (ṭa-WEE-lin) long-M.GEN min (min) of al-ʿamal (al-ʿa-MAL) the-work-GEN
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56.1 بعد الظهر — baʿda aẓ-ẓuhr — "After noon; in the afternoon."
56.2 بعد غد — baʿda ghadin — "The day after tomorrow." (literally "after tomorrow")
56.3 أنا بعدك — anā baʿdaka — "I'm after you." (in a queue, to a man)
56.4 بعد العشاء نشرب الشاي — baʿda al-ʿashāʾ nashrabu ash-shāy — "After dinner we drink tea."
56.5 قبل الامتحان وبعده — qabla al-imtiḥān wa-baʿdahu — "Before the exam and after it."
56.6 سأتصل بك بعد أن أصل — sa-attaṣilu bika baʿda an aṣila — "I will call you after I arrive." (to a man)
56.7 وصل القطار بعد منتصف الليل — waṣala al-qiṭār baʿda muntaṣafi al-layl — "The train arrived after midnight."
56.8 يكبر الطفل يوماً بعد يوم — yakburu aṭ-ṭifl yawman baʿda yawmin — "The child grows bigger day after day."
56.9 بعد الدرس ذهب الطلاب إلى المكتبة — baʿda ad-dars dhahaba aṭ-ṭullāb ilā al-maktaba — "After the lesson the students went to the library."
56.10 سيصل أخي من دبي بعد ساعتين — sa-yaṣilu akhī min Dubayy baʿda sāʿatayni — "My brother will arrive from Dubai in two hours."
56.11 خرجنا بعد أن انتهى الدرس — kharajnā baʿda an intahā ad-dars — "We went out after the lesson ended."
56.12 لم يصل أحمد بعد — lam yaṣil Aḥmad baʿdu — "Ahmad has not arrived yet."
56.13 بعدما غادر الضيوف رتبنا البيت — baʿdamā ghādara aḍ-ḍuyūf rattabnā al-bayt — "After the guests left, we tidied the house."
56.14 سأزورك بعد غد إن شاء الله — sa-azūruka baʿda ghadin in shāʾa Allāh — "I will visit you the day after tomorrow, God willing." (to a man)
56.15 ما أجمل القهوة بعد يوم طويل من العمل — mā ajmala al-qahwata baʿda yawmin ṭawīlin min al-ʿamal — "How lovely coffee is after a long day at work!"
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56.1 بعد الظهر
56.2 بعد غد
56.3 أنا بعدك
56.4 بعد العشاء نشرب الشاي
56.5 قبل الامتحان وبعده
56.6 سأتصل بك بعد أن أصل
56.7 وصل القطار بعد منتصف الليل
56.8 يكبر الطفل يوماً بعد يوم
56.9 بعد الدرس ذهب الطلاب إلى المكتبة
56.10 سيصل أخي من دبي بعد ساعتين
56.11 خرجنا بعد أن انتهى الدرس
56.12 لم يصل أحمد بعد
56.13 بعدما غادر الضيوف رتبنا البيت
56.14 سأزورك بعد غد إن شاء الله
56.15 ما أجمل القهوة بعد يوم طويل من العمل
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1. What kind of word it is. بَعْدَ is a ظرف (ẓarf), an adverb of time that can also mark place. It is always the first term of an idāfa: the word after it is in the genitive, and بعد itself is in the accusative (baʿda). The Quranic Arabic Corpus labels it exactly so in سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا, "an accusative time adverb," followed by a noun in the genitive (Section F). Because it is the first term of an idāfa, it has no article (never *البعد الدرس) and no preposition before it.
2. With a noun. Put the noun in the genitive straight after بعد: بعدَ الظهرِ (56.1), بعدَ العشاءِ (56.4), بعدَ الدرسِ (56.9), بعدَ منتصفِ الليلِ (56.7). The noun can be a time (noon, dinner), an event (the lesson, the exam) or a person. The two times of day most often marked by بعد are الظهر (aẓ-ẓuhr), "noon," and العشاء (al-ʿashāʾ), "dinner, the evening meal"; بعد الظهر by itself means "in the afternoon."
3. With a pronoun suffix. The suffix attaches directly to the accusative form: بعدي (baʿdī), "after me"; بعدَك (baʿdaka), "after you" (to a man; بعدَكِ, baʿdaki, to a woman); بعدَه (baʿdahu), "after him, after it"; بعدَها (baʿdahā), "after her, after it" (a feminine noun); بعدَنا (baʿdanā), "after us"; بعدَكم (baʿdakum), "after you" (plural); بعدَهم (baʿdahum), "after them." See 56.3 and 56.5. English "after you!" as a courtesy at a door is not بعدك: it is تفضّل (tafaḍḍal; تفضّلي, tafaḍḍalī, to a woman), "please, go ahead."
4. With a verb: بعد أن and بعدما. To say "after" with a clause, Arabic needs a verb. There are two ways:
- بعدَ أن (baʿda an) + a verb. For a completed event the verb is in the past (56.11: بعد أن انتهى الدرس, "after the lesson ended"). For an event still to come, the verb is the present, and because it follows أن it is in the subjunctive: بعد أن أصلَ (56.6), "after I arrive," with the verb ending in -a and not -u. - بعدما (baʿdamā), one word, is "after" + a finite clause, and it usually takes a past verb (56.13: بعدما غادر الضيوف, "after the guests left").
With a noun, use بعد alone (56.9). With a clause, use بعد أن or بعدما. The أن is followed by a verb and does not stand before a noun.
5. A period of time: "in" and "later." When بعد is followed by a measure of time, it means "at the end of that time." Said of the future, it is "in": سيصل بعد ساعتين (56.10), "he will arrive in two hours." Said of the past, the same words mean "later": وصل بعد ساعتين, "he arrived two hours later." For "within two hours," Arabic says خلال ساعتين (khilāla sāʿatayn). And "two hours ago" is منذ ساعتين (mundhu sāʿatayn), which is the opposite direction: the word for "ago" is never بعد. Note that the dual "two hours" is in the genitive after بعد: ساعتين.
6. How big the gap is: بـ (bi-). To say how much later, add بـ + the measure: بعدَ الاجتماعِ بربعِ ساعةٍ (baʿda al-ijtimāʿ bi-rubʿi sāʿatin), "a quarter of an hour after the meeting" (56.23); بعدَ الرابعةِ بقليلٍ (baʿda ar-rābiʿa bi-qalīlin), "a little after four" (56.19). For exact clock times Arabic uses و (wa-), "and," and not بعد: الخامسة وعشر دقائق (al-khāmisa wa-ʿashr daqāʾiq), "ten past five." بعد gives the vaguer "after."
7. Repeated nouns: "day after day." A noun in the accusative, then بعد, then the same noun in the genitive: يوماً بعد يوم (yawman baʿda yawmin, 56.8), "day after day"; سنةً بعد سنةٍ (sanatan baʿda sanatin), "year after year"; واحداً بعد واحدٍ (wāḥidan baʿda wāḥidin), "one after another."
8. Place as well as time. بعد also means "past, beyond, further on" in space: المقهى بعد الجسر (al-maqhā baʿda al-jisr), "the café is after the bridge" (56.21–22). It is the usual word in directions: بعد الجسر انعطفي يميناً, "after the bridge turn right."
9. The cut-off form: بَعْدُ (baʿdu). When the word that should follow بعد is understood and left out, بعد loses its genitive partner and ends in a damma (baʿdu). Two uses are the most common. After a negative it means "yet": لم يصل أحمد بعدُ (56.12), "Ahmad has not arrived yet." In literary Arabic it can also mean "still": هو بعدُ صغير (huwa baʿdu ṣaghīr), "he is still small." In the set phrases من بعدُ (min baʿdu), "afterwards," and أمّا بعدُ (ammā baʿdu), "now then" (Section E), it is the same damma form. Compare قبلُ (qablu) for "before." Grammarians call it "built" (mabnī) on the damma: the ending no longer changes with the case.
10. "After that," "what comes after." بعد ذلك (baʿda dhālika), "after that, afterwards" (56.27); بعد قليل (baʿda qalīl), "shortly, in a little while." The phrase ما بعد (mā baʿda), "what is after," works as the English prefix "post-": ما بعد الحداثة (mā baʿda al-ḥadātha), "postmodernism."
11. The opposite: قَبْلَ (qabla). It follows the same patterns as بعد, with one difference in the clause: قبل أن is always followed by the subjunctive (qabla an yataḥarraka, "before he moves"), because the event it names has not yet happened, even when the main verb is in the past, whereas بعد أن takes the past for a completed event. Learn them as a couple: 56.5, قبل الامتحان وبعده, "before the exam and after it."
12. Other English "after"s, and their Arabic.
- To run after, to chase: وراء (warāʾa), "behind": ركض الولد وراء الكرة (rakaḍa al-walad warāʾa al-kura), "the boy ran after the ball." - To look after, to take care of: the verb اعتنى بـ (iʿtanā bi-): اعتنت بالطفل (iʿtanat bi-ṭ-ṭifl), "she looked after the child." The preposition is بـ. - "After you" (courtesy): تفضّل (tafaḍḍal), not بعدك. - "After" in a queue: أنا بعدك (56.3), "I'm after you." - "Afterwards": بعد ذلك, or ثم (thumma), "then." - "Ago": منذ (mundhu) + a time word.
- Putting the article on بعد. "After the lesson" is بعد الدرس, never *البعد الدرس. (البُعد, al-buʿd, is a different word: "the distance.") - Putting a preposition in front of it. بعد الظهر already means "in the afternoon," and no في is needed. - Using بعد أن with a noun. أن is followed by a verb. Say بعد الدرس (a noun) or بعد أن انتهى الدرس (a verb), but never *بعد أن الدرس. - Leaving the verb after بعد أن in the indicative for a future event. Say بعد أن أصلَ (aṣila), not *بعد أن أصلُ (aṣilu). - Using بعد for "ago." *بعد سنتين means "in two years" or "two years later." "Two years ago" is منذ سنتين. - Using في for "in" a period of future time. "In two hours" is بعد ساعتين. خلال ساعتين means "within two hours." - Saying بعدك for the courtesy "after you." Say تفضّل or تفضّلي. بعدك means "after you" in a queue, in order or in time. - Leaving بعد hanging for "afterwards." Alone, after a negative, بعدُ reads as "yet." For "afterwards," say بعد ذلك. - Mixing up the readings of unvowelled بعد. بَعْدَ (baʿda) is "after"; بَعْدُ (baʿdu) is "yet"; بَعُدَ (baʿuda) is "he was far"; بُعْد (buʿd) is "distance." Read the whole sentence before you decide.
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بعد is one of the most frequent words in written and spoken Arabic. It appears in every news report ("after the meeting," "after the match"), in every timetable, and in almost every plan for the day. The parts of the day are often marked by the times of prayer: بعد الظهر (after noon), بعد العصر (after the late afternoon), بعد المغرب (after sunset) and بعد العشاء (after the evening meal and prayer). A person saying "after Maghrib" means a particular time of day in a way that "at six o'clock" does not, because the hour moves with the seasons.
In formal letters and speeches, after the opening praise and greetings, the writer turns to the matter in hand with أمّا بعدُ (ammā baʿdu), "now then, to proceed." It is the cut-off form of Section D, rule 9, and the damma on baʿdu is the mark of it. The formula is old: it was used by orators to mark the move from the opening to the point, and it is still heard in speeches and met at the head of formal prose.
"The day after tomorrow" is بعد غد in the standard language, built on بعد. In the dialects the same idea is built in the same way from "tomorrow": بعد بكرة (baʿd bukra) in Egyptian and in Levantine Arabic. The learner who meets it will recognise the word at once.
- بعد غد (baʿda ghadin) — "the day after tomorrow" - يوماً بعد يوم (yawman baʿda yawmin) — "day after day" - بعد إذنك (baʿda idhnika) — "with your permission, excuse me" (literally "after your permission"; a courtesy before leaving, interrupting or passing) - أمّا بعدُ (ammā baʿdu) — "now then, to proceed" - ما بعد الحداثة (mā baʿda al-ḥadātha) — "postmodernism" - بعد قليل (baʿda qalīl) — "shortly"
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The citation is from the Qur'an, Sūrat aṭ-Ṭalāq (65), the end of verse 7: two clauses, the second of which contains the word of this lesson, in the phrase بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ (baʿda ʿusrin), "after hardship." The wording follows the text on quran.com, checked against the word-by-word text of the Quranic Arabic Corpus. Both give the same words. The vowelling below is in the simplified spelling of the rest of this course, not in the Uthmani spelling of the muṣḥaf. The English is the Latinum Institute's own, kept close to the Arabic.
F.1a لَا not يُكَلِّفُ He-burdens اللَّهُ God نَفْسًا a-soul إِلَّا except مَا what آتَاهَا He-gave-it
F.1b lā (laa) not yukallifu (yu-KAL-li-fu) burdens-PRES.3M.SG Allāhu (al-LAA-hu) God-NOM nafsan (NAF-san) soul-F.ACC illā (il-LAA) except mā (maa) what ātā-hā (AA-taa-haa) gave-PAST.3M.SG-it-F
F.2a سَيَجْعَلُ will-make اللَّهُ God بَعْدَ after عُسْرٍ hardship يُسْرًا ease
F.2b sa-yajʿalu (sa-YAJ-'a-lu) will-make-FUT.3M.SG Allāhu (al-LAA-hu) God-NOM baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC ʿusrin (ʿUS-rin) hardship-GEN yusran (YUS-ran) ease-ACC
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا، سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا.
lā yukallifu Allāhu nafsan illā mā ātāhā, sa-yajʿalu Allāhu baʿda ʿusrin yusran.
"God does not burden any soul except with what He has given it. After hardship God will make ease."
— Qur'an 65:7 (Sūrat aṭ-Ṭalāq), the last two clauses (translation: Latinum Institute, kept close to the Arabic)
لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا، سَيَجْعَلُ اللَّهُ بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ يُسْرًا.
- لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّهُ نَفْسًا (lā yukallifu Allāhu nafsan). "God does not burden a soul." The verb كَلَّفَ (kallafa), Form II, means "to charge, to task, to burden." It takes the soul as its object, and نفس (nafs) is feminine, which is why the pronoun in آتاها is -hā, "it" (her). - إِلَّا مَا آتَاهَا (illā mā ātāhā). "Except what He has given it." The exception is made with إلا followed by the relative مَا (mā), "what." آتَاهَا (ātāhā) is the Form IV past of أتى (atā), "to give," with the suffix -hā, "it, her," which refers back to نفسًا. The same verb and the same structure occur in the clause just before it in the verse, with a masculine pronoun: مِمَّا آتَاهُ اللَّهُ (mimmā ātāhu Allāhu), "from what God has given him." - سَيَجْعَلُ (sa-yajʿalu). The future in سـ (sa-): "He will make." The verb جَعَلَ (jaʿala), "to make, to set, to appoint," takes the object يُسْرًا (yusran), "ease." The time phrase بعد عسر stands between the verb and its object. - بَعْدَ عُسْرٍ (baʿda ʿusrin). The lesson's word. بَعْدَ is in the accusative, a time adverb (the Quranic Arabic Corpus label), and the noun after it, عُسْرٍ (ʿusrin), "hardship," is in the genitive, with tanwīn: Section D, rule 1. The noun is indefinite, with no article, so it is "hardship" in general. The idāfa is the same as in بعد الدرس (56.9): بعد + a noun in the genitive. - يُسْرًا (yusran). "Ease," the object, accusative with tanwīn. The pair عُسْر / يُسْر, hardship and ease, are opposites; they appear together in other verses too.
The verse is from the sūra of divorce (aṭ-Ṭalāq). Its immediate context is about spending according to one's means: "Let the man of wealth provide according to his means. As for the one with limited resources, let him provide according to whatever God has given him." The passage chosen is its close. It is chosen because it states the lesson's word in its plainest and most common use, "after" + a noun in the genitive, in a clause short enough to learn by heart.
Hardship and ease occur together in Sūrat al-Sharḥ (94:5–6) too, where the word is مع (maʿa), "with": "with hardship is ease." Here the verse says بعد, "after." The cut-off form of the lesson's word, بَعْدُ (baʿdu), is in another well-known verse, with its opposite: لِلَّهِ الْأَمْرُ مِنْ قَبْلُ وَمِنْ بَعْدُ (30:4), "to God belongs the command before and after," where the two words end in the damma of Section D, rule 9. That is the pair قبل / بعد of the lesson, in the cut-off form.
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56.16a عمر Omar ماذا what ستفعلين you-will-do بعد after العمل the-work اليوم today يا O سلمى Salma
56.16b ʿUmar (ʿU-mar) Omar mādhā (MAA-dhaa) what sa-tafʿalīna (sa-taf-ʿa-LEE-na) will-you-do-FUT.2F.SG baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-ʿamal (al-ʿa-MAL) the-work-GEN al-yawma (al-YAW-ma) the-day-ACC.ADV yā (yaa) O Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma-VOC
56.17a سلمى Salma بعد after العمل the-work أذهب I-go إلى to النادي the-club وبعد and-after النادي the-club أعود I-return إلى to البيت the-house
56.17b Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-ʿamal (al-ʿa-MAL) the-work-GEN adhhabu (ADH-ha-bu) I-go-PRES.1SG ilā (I-laa) to an-nādī (an-NAA-dee) the-club-GEN wa-baʿda (wa-BA'-da) and-after-ACC an-nādī (an-NAA-dee) the-club-GEN aʿūdu (A-ʿoo-du) I-return-PRES.1SG ilā (I-laa) to al-bayt (al-BAYT) the-house-GEN
56.18a عمر Omar ما what رأيك your-opinion أن that نشرب we-drink القهوة the-coffee معاً together بعد after العمل the-work مباشرة directly
56.18b ʿUmar (ʿU-mar) Omar mā (maa) what raʾyuki (RA'-yu-ki) opinion-NOM-your-F.SG an (an) that nashraba (NASH-ra-ba) we-drink-SUBJ.1PL al-qahwa (al-QAH-wa) the-coffee-F.ACC maʿan (MA-ʿan) together-ACC.ADV baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-ʿamal (al-ʿa-MAL) the-work-GEN mubāsharatan (mu-BAA-sha-ra-tan) directly-ACC.ADV
56.19a سلمى Salma فكرة idea جيدة good لكن but عندي with-me اجتماع a-meeting ينتهي ends بعد after الرابعة the-fourth بقليل by-little
56.19b Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma fikra (FIK-ra) idea-F.NOM jayyida (JAY-yi-da) good-F.NOM lākin (LAA-kin) but ʿindī (ʿIN-dee) with-me ijtimāʿ (ij-ti-MAAʿ) meeting-NOM yantahī (yan-ta-HEE) ends-PRES.3M.SG baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC ar-rābiʿa (ar-RAA-bi-ʿa) the-fourth-F.GEN bi-qalīlin (bi-qa-LEE-lin) by-little-GEN
56.20a عمر Omar إذن then نلتقي we-meet بعد after الاجتماع the-meeting في in المقهى the-café القديم the-old
56.20b ʿUmar (ʿU-mar) Omar idhan (i-DHAN) then naltaqī (nal-ta-QEE) we-meet-PRES.1PL baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-ijtimāʿ (al-ij-ti-MAAʿ) the-meeting-GEN fī (fee) in al-maqhā (al-MAQ-haa) the-café-GEN al-qadīm (al-qa-DEEM) the-old-M.GEN
56.21a سلمى Salma أين where المقهى the-café هل is هو it بعد after الجسر the-bridge
56.21b Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma ayna (AY-na) where al-maqhā (al-MAQ-haa) the-café hal (hal) INTERROG huwa (HU-wa) it-M baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-jisr (al-JISR) the-bridge-GEN
56.22a عمر Omar نعم yes بعد after الجسر the-bridge انعطفي turn يميناً right وستجدينه and-you-will-find-it بعد after الصيدلية the-pharmacy مباشرة directly
56.22b ʿUmar (ʿU-mar) Omar naʿam (NA-ʿam) yes baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-jisr (al-JISR) the-bridge-GEN inʿaṭifī (in-ʿa-ṬI-fee) turn-IMP.F.SG yamīnan (ya-MEE-nan) right-ACC.ADV wa-sa-tajidīna-hu (wa-sa-ta-ji-DEE-na-hu) and-will-you-find-FUT.2F.SG-it-M baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC aṣ-ṣaydaliyya (aṣ-ṣay-da-LIY-ya) the-pharmacy-F.GEN mubāsharatan (mu-BAA-sha-ra-tan) directly-ACC.ADV
56.23a سلمى Salma حسناً fine سأصل I-will-arrive بعد after الاجتماع the-meeting بربع by-quarter ساعة hour تقريباً approximately
56.23b Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma ḥasanan (HA-sa-nan) fine-ACC.ADV sa-aṣilu (sa-A-ṣi-lu) will-I-arrive-FUT.1SG baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-ijtimāʿ (al-ij-ti-MAAʿ) the-meeting-GEN bi-rubʿi (bi-RUB-ʿi) by-quarter-GEN.CONSTRUCT sāʿatin (SAA-ʿa-tin) hour-F.GEN taqrīban (taq-REE-ban) approximately-ACC.ADV
56.24a عمر Omar وبعد and-after القهوة the-coffee نتمشى we-walk قليلاً a-little في in الحديقة the-park
56.24b ʿUmar (ʿU-mar) Omar wa-baʿda (wa-BA'-da) and-after-ACC al-qahwa (al-QAH-wa) the-coffee-F.GEN natamashshā (na-ta-MASH-shaa) we-walk-PRES.1PL qalīlan (qa-LEE-lan) a-little-ACC.ADV fī (fee) in al-ḥadīqa (al-ha-DEE-qa) the-park-F.GEN
56.25a سلمى Salma لا no بعد after القهوة the-coffee يجب it-is-necessary أن that أعود I-return لأن because أمي my-mother ستصل will-arrive من from الرياض Riyadh بعد after المغرب the-sunset
56.25b Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma lā (laa) no baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-qahwa (al-QAH-wa) the-coffee-F.GEN yajibu (YA-ji-bu) it-is-necessary-PRES.3M.SG an (an) that aʿūda (A-ʿoo-da) I-return-SUBJ.1SG li-anna (li-AN-na) because ummī (UM-mee) mother-NOM-my sa-taṣilu (sa-ta-ṢI-lu) will-arrive-FUT.3F.SG min (min) from ar-Riyāḍ (ar-ri-YAAḌ) Riyadh-GEN baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-maghrib (al-MAGH-rib) the-sunset-GEN
56.26a عمر Omar لا no بأس harm وبعد and-after أن that تعودي you-return إلى to البيت the-house اتصلي call بي with-me
56.26b ʿUmar (ʿU-mar) Omar lā (laa) no baʾsa (BA'-sa) harm-ACC wa-baʿda (wa-BA'-da) and-after-ACC an (an) that taʿūdī (ta-ʿOO-dee) you-return-SUBJ.2F.SG ilā (I-laa) to al-bayt (al-BAYT) the-house-GEN ittaṣilī (it-ta-ṢI-lee) call-IMP.F.SG bī (bee) with-me
56.27a سلمى Salma سأرسل I-will-send لك to-you رسالة a-message بعد after العشاء the-dinner وبعد and-after ذلك that نخطط we-plan ليوم for-day الجمعة the-Friday
56.27b Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma sa-ursilu (sa-UR-si-lu) will-I-send-FUT.1SG la-ka (la-ka) to-you-M.SG risāla (ri-SAA-la) message-F.ACC baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-ʿashāʾ (al-ʿa-SHAA') the-dinner-GEN wa-baʿda (wa-BA'-da) and-after-ACC dhālika (DHAA-li-ka) that-M.GEN nukhaṭṭiṭu (nu-KHAT-ṭi-ṭu) we-plan-PRES.1PL li-yawmi (li-YAW-mi) for-day-GEN.CONSTRUCT al-jumʿa (al-JUM-ʿa) the-Friday-GEN
56.28a عمر Omar أنا I أنتظر wait-for هذا this الوقت the-time كل every يوم day فبعد so-after ساعات hours من of العمل the-work نحتاج we-need إلى to قليل little من of الراحة the-rest
56.28b ʿUmar (ʿU-mar) Omar anā (A-naa) I antaẓiru (an-TA-ẓi-ru) wait-for-PRES.1SG hādhā (HAA-dhaa) this-M al-waqt (al-WAQT) the-time-ACC kulla (KUL-la) every-ACC yawmin (YAW-min) day-GEN fa-baʿda (fa-BA'-da) so-after-ACC sāʿātin (saa-ʿAA-tin) hours-F.PL.GEN min (min) of al-ʿamal (al-ʿa-MAL) the-work-GEN naḥtāju (naḥ-TAA-ju) we-need-PRES.1PL ilā (I-laa) to qalīlin (qa-LEE-lin) little-GEN min (min) of ar-rāḥa (ar-RAA-ha) the-rest-F.GEN
56.29a سلمى Salma صحيح true والقهوة and-the-coffee بعد after التعب the-tiredness أطيب more-delicious من than أي any شيء thing
56.29b Salmā (SAL-maa) Salma ṣaḥīḥ (ṣa-HEEH) true wa-l-qahwa (wal-QAH-wa) and-the-coffee-F.NOM baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC at-taʿab (at-TA-ʿab) the-tiredness-GEN aṭyabu (AṬ-ya-bu) more-delicious-NOM min (min) than ayyi (AY-yi) any-GEN shayʾin (SHAY-'in) thing-GEN
56.30a عمر Omar إذن then إلى to اللقاء the-encounter بعد after الاجتماع the-meeting
56.30b ʿUmar (ʿU-mar) Omar idhan (i-DHAN) then ilā (I-laa) to al-liqāʾ (al-li-QAA') the-encounter-GEN baʿda (BA'-da) after-ACC al-ijtimāʿ (al-ij-ti-MAAʿ) the-meeting-GEN
56.16 عمر: ماذا ستفعلين بعد العمل اليوم يا سلمى؟ — ʿUmar: mādhā sa-tafʿalīna baʿda al-ʿamal al-yawma yā Salmā? — "Omar: What will you do after work today, Salma?"
56.17 سلمى: بعد العمل أذهب إلى النادي، وبعد النادي أعود إلى البيت — Salmā: baʿda al-ʿamal adhhabu ilā an-nādī, wa-baʿda an-nādī aʿūdu ilā al-bayt — "Salma: After work I go to the club, and after the club I go home."
56.18 عمر: ما رأيك أن نشرب القهوة معاً بعد العمل مباشرة؟ — ʿUmar: mā raʾyuki an nashraba al-qahwa maʿan baʿda al-ʿamal mubāsharatan? — "Omar: How about our having coffee together right after work?"
56.19 سلمى: فكرة جيدة، لكن عندي اجتماع ينتهي بعد الرابعة بقليل — Salmā: fikra jayyida, lākin ʿindī ijtimāʿ yantahī baʿda ar-rābiʿa bi-qalīlin — "Salma: A good idea, but I have a meeting that ends a little after four."
56.20 عمر: إذن نلتقي بعد الاجتماع في المقهى القديم — ʿUmar: idhan naltaqī baʿda al-ijtimāʿ fī al-maqhā al-qadīm — "Omar: Then let's meet after the meeting at the old café."
56.21 سلمى: أين المقهى؟ هل هو بعد الجسر؟ — Salmā: ayna al-maqhā? hal huwa baʿda al-jisr? — "Salma: Where is the café? Is it after the bridge?"
56.22 عمر: نعم، بعد الجسر انعطفي يميناً، وستجدينه بعد الصيدلية مباشرة — ʿUmar: naʿam, baʿda al-jisr inʿaṭifī yamīnan, wa-sa-tajidīnahu baʿda aṣ-ṣaydaliyya mubāsharatan — "Omar: Yes. After the bridge turn right, and you'll find it right after the pharmacy."
56.23 سلمى: حسناً، سأصل بعد الاجتماع بربع ساعة تقريباً — Salmā: ḥasanan, sa-aṣilu baʿda al-ijtimāʿ bi-rubʿi sāʿatin taqrīban — "Salma: Fine. I'll arrive about a quarter of an hour after the meeting."
56.24 عمر: وبعد القهوة نتمشى قليلاً في الحديقة — ʿUmar: wa-baʿda al-qahwa natamashshā qalīlan fī al-ḥadīqa — "Omar: And after the coffee we'll walk a little in the park."
56.25 سلمى: لا، بعد القهوة يجب أن أعود لأن أمي ستصل من الرياض بعد المغرب — Salmā: lā, baʿda al-qahwa yajibu an aʿūda li-anna ummī sa-taṣilu min ar-Riyāḍ baʿda al-maghrib — "Salma: No. After the coffee I have to go back, because my mother will arrive from Riyadh after sunset."
56.26 عمر: لا بأس، وبعد أن تعودي إلى البيت اتصلي بي — ʿUmar: lā baʾsa, wa-baʿda an taʿūdī ilā al-bayt ittaṣilī bī — "Omar: No problem. And after you get home, call me."
56.27 سلمى: سأرسل لك رسالة بعد العشاء، وبعد ذلك نخطط ليوم الجمعة — Salmā: sa-ursilu laka risāla baʿda al-ʿashāʾ, wa-baʿda dhālika nukhaṭṭiṭu li-yawmi al-jumʿa — "Salma: I'll send you a message after dinner, and after that we'll plan for Friday."
56.28 عمر: أنا أنتظر هذا الوقت كل يوم، فبعد ساعات من العمل نحتاج إلى قليل من الراحة — ʿUmar: anā antaẓiru hādhā al-waqt kulla yawmin, fa-baʿda sāʿātin min al-ʿamal naḥtāju ilā qalīlin min ar-rāḥa — "Omar: I wait for this time every day, because after hours of work we need a little rest."
56.29 سلمى: صحيح، والقهوة بعد التعب أطيب من أي شيء — Salmā: ṣaḥīḥ, wa-l-qahwa baʿda at-taʿab aṭyabu min ayyi shayʾin — "Salma: True, and coffee after tiredness is better than anything."
56.30 عمر: إذن إلى اللقاء بعد الاجتماع — ʿUmar: idhan ilā al-liqāʾ baʿda al-ijtimāʿ — "Omar: Then see you after the meeting."
56.16 عمر: ماذا ستفعلين بعد العمل اليوم يا سلمى؟
56.17 سلمى: بعد العمل أذهب إلى النادي، وبعد النادي أعود إلى البيت
56.18 عمر: ما رأيك أن نشرب القهوة معاً بعد العمل مباشرة؟
56.19 سلمى: فكرة جيدة، لكن عندي اجتماع ينتهي بعد الرابعة بقليل
56.20 عمر: إذن نلتقي بعد الاجتماع في المقهى القديم
56.21 سلمى: أين المقهى؟ هل هو بعد الجسر؟
56.22 عمر: نعم، بعد الجسر انعطفي يميناً، وستجدينه بعد الصيدلية مباشرة
56.23 سلمى: حسناً، سأصل بعد الاجتماع بربع ساعة تقريباً
56.24 عمر: وبعد القهوة نتمشى قليلاً في الحديقة
56.25 سلمى: لا، بعد القهوة يجب أن أعود لأن أمي ستصل من الرياض بعد المغرب
56.26 عمر: لا بأس، وبعد أن تعودي إلى البيت اتصلي بي
56.27 سلمى: سأرسل لك رسالة بعد العشاء، وبعد ذلك نخطط ليوم الجمعة
56.28 عمر: أنا أنتظر هذا الوقت كل يوم، فبعد ساعات من العمل نحتاج إلى قليل من الراحة
56.29 سلمى: صحيح، والقهوة بعد التعب أطيب من أي شيء
56.30 عمر: إذن إلى اللقاء بعد الاجتماع
- Speakers. Each line opens with the speaker's name, عمر (ʿUmar, Omar) or سلمى (Salmā, Salma), then a colon in the natural text (Part B and C). Omar speaks to a woman throughout, so every "you" is feminine: ستفعلين (sa-tafʿalīna, 56.16), رأيكِ (raʾyuki, 56.18), انعطفي (56.22), وستجدينه (56.22), تعودي (56.26), اتصلي (56.26). Salma speaks to a man: لك (laka, 56.27). - Time, place and measure. بعد is used for time (56.16, 56.17, 56.20), for place (56.21 and 56.22, "after the bridge," بعد الجسر), and for a measure: بعد الرابعة بقليل, "a little after four" (56.19), and بعد الاجتماع بربع ساعة, "a quarter of an hour after the meeting" (56.23). Section D, rules 6 and 8. - The clause with بعد أن. In 56.26 the speaker means a future event, so the verb is the subjunctive: بعد أن تعودي. The 2nd-person feminine present is تعودين (taʿūdīna); after أن the final -na falls away, giving تعودي. Section D, rule 4. - ما رأيك أن (56.18). "What is your opinion that…?", a standard way of making a suggestion. The verb after أن is in the subjunctive: نشربَ (nashraba). - يجب أن (56.25). "It is necessary that…"; after أن the verb is subjunctive: أعودَ (aʿūda). - No relative pronoun (56.19). عندي اجتماع ينتهي: "I have a meeting that ends." An indefinite noun (اجتماع) is followed directly by the verb that describes it, with no الذي. With a definite noun, الذي would be needed. - Feminine imperative. انعطفي (56.22) and اتصلي (56.26) end in -ī, the mark of a command to a woman. To a man they would be انعطفْ and اتصلْ. - Future with سـ (sa-). ستفعلين (56.16), وستجدينه (56.22), سأصل (56.23), ستصل (56.25, 3rd feminine: the mother), سأرسل (56.27). - The time of day. بعد المغرب (56.25), "after sunset," is the time-of-prayer marker of Section E; compare بعد العشاء (56.27). - بعد ذلك (56.27). "After that"; the demonstrative ذلك is in the genitive after بعد. - إلى اللقاء (56.30). A farewell, literally "to the encounter," that is, "until we meet." Here بعد gives the time: "until we meet, after the meeting."
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- IPA: /baʕda/ - ب (bāʾ) = /b/, as in English b. - َ (fatḥa) = /a/, a short open vowel, as in a clipped cat. - ع (ʿayn) = /ʕ/, a sound that has no English equivalent: a voiced squeeze made low in the throat, as if the voice were pinched for an instant. It is written ʿ in the transliteration and ' in the respellings. It is not a glottal stop (the catch in "uh-oh"), and it is not an h. - ْ (sukūn) = no vowel: the ʿayn closes the first syllable (baʿ-), and the next consonant begins the second (-da). Say baʿ-da, with no vowel between ʿ and d. - د (dāl) = /d/. َ (fatḥa) = /a/. - Stress: BA'-da. In a phrase it runs on: بعد العمل is "baʿdal-ʿamal," because the alif of the article is not pronounced after a vowel.
- ع /ʕ/ in عمل (ʿamal, "work") vs ح /ħ/ in حمل (ḥamal, "carrying"): ʿayn is voiced and squeezed, ḥāʾ is a whispered breath from the throat. - ع /ʕ/ in عمر (ʿUmar, the name) vs the hamza in أمر (amr, "matter, command"): ʿayn is a sustained sound, hamza is a stop. - بَعْدَ (baʿda, "after") vs بُعْد (buʿd, "distance"): the first vowel is a (open) or u (rounded). - بَعْدَ (baʿda) vs بَعْدُ (baʿdu, "yet"): the final vowel is -a or -u.
- ق (qāf) /q/ in القهوة، تقريباً، اللقاء، القديم، قليلاً: a k made at the uvula, deeper than English k. - غ (ghayn) /ɣ/ in غد، المغرب، غادر: a gargled r-like sound, like the French r. - خ (khāʾ) /x/ in أخي، نخطط، خرجنا: the rough sound of Scottish loch. - ح (ḥāʾ) /ħ/ in الامتحان، الحديقة، الراحة، حسناً، نحتاج: the whispered h from the throat. - The emphatics ص ط ض ظ in الظهر، الطفل، الطلاب، الصيدلية، الضيوف، الرياض، منتصف، أنتظر: tongue raised at the back, darkening the vowels. - ذ (dhāl) /ð/ in ذلك، هذا، ذهب، أذهب: like the th of English this.
Before sun letters the l of the article assimilates: الظهر → aẓ-ẓuhr, الشاي → ash-shāy, الدرس → ad-dars, الطلاب → aṭ-ṭullāb, الطفل → aṭ-ṭifl, الضيوف → aḍ-ḍuyūf, النادي → an-nādī, الرابعة → ar-rābiʿa, الراحة → ar-rāḥa, الرياض → ar-Riyāḍ, الصيدلية → aṣ-ṣaydaliyya, التعب → at-taʿab, اللقاء → al-liqāʾ (the l is doubled in speech). Before moon letters it does not: العمل → al-ʿamal, العشاء → al-ʿashāʾ, القهوة → al-qahwa, الجسر → al-jisr, البيت → al-bayt, الاجتماع → al-ijtimāʿ, المقهى → al-maqhā, المغرب → al-maghrib. After بعد the alif of the article is dropped in speech, so بعد العمل runs together as "baʿdal-ʿamal," and بعد الظهر as "baʿdaẓ-ẓuhr."
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